Riverdale Actor That Plead Guilty to Murdering Mother Also Plotted to Assassinate Justin Trudeau

By Jenna Anderson

Ryan Grantham, a Canadian actor who recently pled guilty to the second-degree murder of his mother, allegedly also had plans to assassinate Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Sentencing for Grantham's case began earlier this week in the British Columbia Supreme Court, and the proceedings revealed more details around Grantham's plans to shoot and kill his 64-year-old mother, Barbara Waite, which he ultimately did via a single gunshot to the head while she played piano in March of 2020. Grantham is most recently known for portraying Jeffrey, a young man who accidentally kills Fred Andrews (Luke Perry) in a hit and run, on The CW's Riverdale. His other filmography includes appearances in Supernatural, iZombie, and Falling Skies.

According to reporting from Complex Canada, Grantham had plans to kill Trudeau, which were revealed in both a statement to the police and excerpts from his private journal. Following the murder of Waite, Grantham allegedly filled his car with three guns, ammunition, 12 Molotov cocktails, camping supplies, and a map with directions to Trudeau's residence in Rideau Cottage. Grantham ultimately never made it to Trudeau's residence,  and instead turned himself in to the Vancouver police headquarters.

After initially being charged with first-degree murder, Grantham ultimately confessed to second-degree murder earlier this year. While second-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence in British Columbia, the sentencing is to determine how soon he could become eligible for parole, with the period ranging from ten years to 25 years. This evidence was reportedly presented in an attempt to convey Grantham's mental state at the time of the killing. The evidence also included videos that Grantham took throughout the ordeal, including one where he confessed to the murder. The evidence apparently also included evidence that Grantham had considered carrying out a mass killing, including one at his college of Simon Fraser University.

The proceedings also included a victim impact statement from Grantham's sister, Lisa Grantham, who testified that her brother is undoubtedly a dangerous person.

"It breaks my heart she struggled so hard … only to be murdered by her own son," Grantham said to the court. "She was vulnerable and Ryan gave her no chance to defend herself. It pains me to know he was a danger to her life."

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